ALBAWABA - Speculations, rumours, and theories emerged on social media after Cameroonian President Paul Biya went missing for 8 weeks.
According to opposition sources in Cameroon, Paul Biya, 93, has not been seen in public for about 54 days, with rumors spreading online regarding his health.
Biya has been the president of Cameroon since November 6, 1982. Ahead he was the country's prime minister for seven years. He was last seen in public on May 20, 2026, during the country's National Day celebrations.
According to local media, the president departed the country for a private visit to Europe on June 7, 2026, and has remained abroad in Geneva, Switzerland.
Cameroon's President Paul Biya (L) and Cameroon's First Lady Chantal Biya (R) attend the Holy Mass led by Pope Leo XIV at the Yaounde Ville Airport in Yaounde, on April 18, 2026. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)
Amid emerging speculations that Biya's health has deteriorated and that he is staying in a hospital in Europe, officials denied online rumors, saying he is in good health and governing remotely, rejecting reports of hospitalization.
It is worth noting that Paul Biya, who is the world's oldest head of state, was re-elected for an eighth term in Yaounde, Cameroon, on October 12, 2025, CNN reported.
He won 53.7 percent of the vote, compared to the 35.2 percent of opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the Constitutional Council revealed last year, according to the BBC.
A person wrote on X, "A record 53-day absence by the world’s oldest head of state has renewed speculation in his native #Cameroon 🇨🇲about whether he is dead or alive, even though discussing his health is illegal in the country."
Another said, "Where has Paul Biya gone? The question is stirring the Cameroonian diaspora in Belgium."
